“Massachusetts and other Northeast states are proving that smart climate policies save consumers money and create jobs. Climate change is real and so are the economic benefits of addressing it,” said Rep. Markey, the top Democrat on the Natural Resources Committee and the Dean of the Massachusetts congressional delegation. “By continuing to aggressively cut pollution, Massachusetts and New England will show the rest of America the benefits of the clean energy revolution.”

“To some Massachusetts might be the Bay State, but we know it’s really the brain state, where innovative ideas are creating jobs and cutting pollution,” concluded Rep. Markey.

The people listening to Al weren’t paying homage to the face of the enviro leader because of the veracity of the environmental cause itself, they were paying homage to the enviro leader because of the formidable political tool he helped to create and foist on the public to further their cause. Gore is not just a climatemonger; he’s a trendmonger (to borrow from Frank Zappa) and this trendmonger has a sinister purpose to expand the state by selling his trend by the term of the day: i.e., global warming, climate change, environment reform etc.

The upside is huge for the left. The environment is everywhere. Convince people that Big Gov must have a say in every nook and cranny that is the environment, and you convinced them that Big Gov has a say on everything that can affect every particle, molecule, insect, animal, person etc. on the planet. It’s scope is almost limitless (except for some human behavior, but that’s where the Healthcare trend comes in.)